This article was originally published in the Sun Care Trend Report. Receive your copy here
Whether it’s biodegradable formulas or plastic free-packaging, sustainability is now an expectation for consumers when purchasing beauty products.
In sun care, shoppers have historically been slower to apply the same approach, yet recent data from Trendalytics reveals that year-on-year searches for ‘reef safe SPF’ have risen by 86% since 2024, reflecting an increasing interest from consumers for eco-friendly formulations.
“Consumers grow more environmentally conscious and ingredient-savvy and retailers and brands are responding in kind: the number of SPF products labelled ‘reef safe’ on the market has increased by 150% over the past year,” reveals Michael Appler, Director at Trendalytics. “Average weekly TikTok views for videos featuring reef safe SPF have skyrocketed 335% over the last year.”
According to Appler, top-performing brands gaining traction on TikTok for their reef safe products include Utu Outdoor Skincare, Florence by Mills, Kora Organics and StriVectin.
Nevertheless, it’s not a new move by the industry or by brands: in 2018, then Hawaii governor David Ige signed a bill banning sun care ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate from the state, following research by biologist Craig Downs which suggested they were responsible for coral bleaching. U.S. Virgin Islands, Key West, Palau and Aruba followed suit with their own legislation, which in turn, sparked a sharp rise in brands adopting reef safe messaging and promoting products free from oxybenzone and octinoxate, among others.
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